This just may be may favorite era, that fall leading up to Europe - so musical, so many good new songs. Just listened to the entire show that yielded Dick's Picks V.2, similarly great stuff.

I stack these first performances of 6 songs against any others, they sound like they've been playing them for years. Maybe not what you're used to in terms of bandstration, but this premier of Mexicali is just off the chain. Esp. Jerry.

I and my lady friend were the two hippies sitting ON THE STAGE right in front of Bob the entire show. We just crawled up there and nobody kicked us off! Best night of my life, indeed. If anyone out there has a photo of the Dead on stage that night--I'd give anything to see it and everything to have a copy. The music was so good, the vibe in Northrup was perfect as was the acid. Truly a sunshine daydream. And yeah, Jerry playing with the New Riders! Need I say more?

I was attending the U at the time of this show. I walked right in the front door and stayed for 5 minutes and decided there were too many people on stage so I left. Only now and hundreds of shows later do I realize how lame I was :(

This is a good one, a really good ‘71 show. I’ve really been going through every MN show because for some reason they often have some really incredible moments that often go under the radars of most Live-Dead-listening Deadheads, so with that in mind, it’s always worth checking out Minnesota shows (08/06/82 St Paul Civic Center for one of 31 examples of MN shows). In fact, MN is home to a lot of uncommon knowledge historical-Grateful-Dead significances, Bobby first met his future wife at one (some say the one mentioned above, otherwise it could be 06/25/83 at that same venue, unless it was the Metrodome show of 06/26/86, but anyway) you know the lyrics “I met her accidentally in St Paul, MN”.

Now getting to this night, of 10/19/71, as some of you may know, this is the show they debuted Keith Godchaux as their new keyboard/piano player for his first ever live show with the band here at Northrop Auditorium in the heart of the University of Minnesota campus, and what a brilliant 1971 show this is if you haven’t already listened to it, because not only did it debut Keith, the keyboard player that would go on to capture and express some of the greatest sounds of their 70s exploratory sounds and visions (1971-1979). But it also happens to be the show where they debuted some of the most essential songs in their repertoire. In usual Dead fashion, they debuted SIX (6!) NEW original Grateful Dead songs on this beautiful historic night; those six songs are: Tennesee Jed, Jack Straw, Mexicali Blues, Comes a Time, One More Saturday Night, AND Ramble On Rose!

Incredible to think that those all made their live debut performances on this night. I think that is among the top 2 or 3 shows with the most actual original debut performances by the band, the other I’m aware of being 02/09/73 with: Row Jimmy, Loose Lucy, Here Comes Sunshine, TLEO, Eyes of the World, China Doll, and Wave That Flag. Not sure if that’s the most and 10/19/71 is the second most or what but my data is telling me so. Someone else may know more, but yeah there’s a great playlist out there of every original love song debut performance and it has a list of all the dates and songs and honestly it’s like catnip to me, check it out.

Anywho, as you can tell by how hot we all generally accept and know 1972 to be, between the famous Europe tour and the Veneta Oregon show (and MANY others, those just being the most ‘famous’), you know that this band is building their arsenal here in 1971 and you can hear it in beautifully creative performances like these in 1971. Most if not ALL of the “Skullfuck”/Skull N Roses/self-titled-Live album are from 1971 shows, and they are building some serious steam by this point in time for those of you who know. For reference, because I know this stuff interests me, I know it interests many of you too; some other Original (not-covers) songs to debut in ‘71 (earlier in the year, one later) are:
2/18/71 - Bertha, Loser, Greatest Story Ever Told, Wharf Rat, Playing In The Band
2/19/71 - Bird Song, Deal
7/31/71 - Sugaree, Mr. Charlie
8/24/71 - Brown Eyed Women, Empty Pages,
Then on 12/31/71 was the first Chinatown Shuffle. So 1971 was a very productive year for the band. 'The More You Know!' and as we know, Knowing is half the battle! Lol idk

With that being established and known contextually I have to admit that this is 10/10 show for me, sure there is some imperfections, but that’s what I like about it, I wouldn’t want it to be perfect, reality isn’t perfect, and this is one of many examples of how that can be a blessing rather than a detriment to a show, in the end though, I wasn’t there nor born then, but I wish I was so I could have been here (or for any shows in those early days)! And so I’m just truly grateful to be able to enjoy it today here in the 21st Century.

Grateful Brothers and Sisters out there ... Share the love, be a person of compassion, and empathy too. And let’s change this weird and wild world into the one we truly want to live in, be that change you want to see in the world. We need more awesome people like you all (those groovy enough to even be listening to an Oct ‘71 Grateful Dead recording! I mean come on, face it, you’re cool!) this fear filled hate-bait world needs more love and we’re the type of people grateful enough to turn on that love light and let it shine all over the eyes of the world, unlimited devotion and all. Alright, I’m rambling now, going to get back to groovin’ to these tunes!

NFA (~);} 2404

It is often difficult to describe the collective musical experience that was the Grateful Dead. This show captures so many elements and styles which only The Dead themselves can describe. I find this show to be a library of examples. From psychedelic moments, to the Blues, Jazz, Fusion, Folk, Country and everything undefined, except when listening.

I'm sorry I was 9 years old and missed this show live, but grateful I've discovered, and will share this jewell.

... and what a show it was. A lot of firsts. The flash bombs being tossed from behind the amps were spectacular, with the frozen faces, eyes exploding wide! The tiedyes were beautiful, covering every speaker. The crowd was really ready for the show and full of love.

It was something to see the velvet Northrup Auditorium's stage draped with Hell's Angels as unneeded security.

I came here by looking for the earliest Brown-Eyed Women.
The Setlist Program (setlists.net) claims two slightly earlier ones but Archive is not aligned with that when I enter the dates
I'd forgotten how much I liked Brown-Eyed women (the song, I prefer blondes otherwise) until Santa Clara in 2015, starting with a rush from the crowd approval.
I reckon mostly they played it a bit quick and these early versions are more my thing and have something less hurried in common with the 2015 version.
Is there a more reliable easy use site than setlists.net to look up individual songs and stats?
I like this show and recording.
Setlists says this is the first Jack Straw like the other chap said.

I think this was the first performance of Jack Straw.

This was my first show and 18. Nearly 7 hours of the NRPS and the GD! Frisbees everywhere(one nearly hit McDuke in the head-the crowd was promptly scolded by Jerry), joints as big as rolling pins, brownies, pizza, those fabulous tie-dyed speakers, I was on the main floor - mid-way back and in Heaven. I got pulled over by a Mpls cop on the way home - tail light out :)...the acid was still at full throttle, he sent me on my way with a grin.

after reading a few of these reviews while skipping right to playin in the band to see if is 15-20 long was dissappointed at first. i have been recently going right to playin on the oldest show i can find for the day. there is a jam but not the one you expect from later shows. it is hard and fast jamming which is nice to hear. one more saturday night jerrys jammining sounds like chuck berry tripping on some clean cid. my first and only show that i ever got into(went to several shows but partied in the lot scene) they played the other one with out cryptical. nice to hear the who song and jerry sounds so good. tight jamming. five guys at a college in MN jamming there brains out. keith seems grateful to step up to the challege of playing with the dead live. one of my first vinyl dead records was Eurpoe 72 so this has a nice feel. but no pig. so it is a different band here than when pig was leading the blues charge on some songs. over all a great soundboard fm. i am actually listening to the one above charlie miller, sounds really perfect. i was listening side by side and chose the other one. 4.995 stars for 71

This show is spectacular. They are young, enthusiastic, and spot on this night. This show is one for The Grateful Dead history books for it is a show full of FIRSTS: Keith's first show, and the songs to make their debut were Tennessee Jed, Mexicali Blues, Comes a Time, (which is epic) and last but not least, One More Saturday Night. This show is a must for your collection.

After the sizzling sixties, '71 is my favorite year. I'm no audiophile, but where is this distortion someone mentioned?

I just saved this to a hard drive, and burned and printed two disks.

I love this show because of the welcome return of the complete "That's It For The Other One" suite.

By early 1971 the Dead were forgetting to include the "Cryptical" reprise after "The Other One." Instead they were going into "Wharf Rat." And at some other shows, such as 7/2/71, they ended the suite at the conclusion of "The Other One." I have always felt short changed by the 1971 arrangement, sort of getting the "economy version" if you know what I mean. I also did not like "Truckin> Drums> Other One" as much either. This was being played since 1970.

The "That's It For The Other One" suite is nice and long here. Very adventurous and fun to listen to. A few other nice ones in came later in the fall of '71.

Just for clarity,Mickey's last show was 2-18-71-or rather the first show without him at Portchester,n.y. Capitol theatre.

Very youthful sound, extremely high energy throughout. Some tempos might seem speedy, but the joy of playin' in the band is shining out of this show. GDTRFB literally smokes.

I just finished listening to this show with headphones. I'd swear that for most songs Keith's left hand (harmony, chords) is in one channel and his right hand (melody, noodling) is in the other. Considering the problems that the crew had setting up microphones on him for the next month, this seems unbelievable for his debut. Can anyone else confirm this or am I completely hallucinating?

...__[8]0

Mileage varies ... my personal opinion is that this show sounds exactly like you think it would: sort of half-way between what the band was prior to Keith and the international legend-making juggernaut they would become in another six months.

The most interesting performance by far has to be the version of The Other One which simultaneously looks forwards (sounding midway through like a Playin' from the summer of 1974) and backwards (e.g., at 11:00 or so when they rock hard on the trademark 2-13-70 "escaping" riff).

One thing that keeps me from really loving this particular mini-era (late '71) is the mix of tonalities and instruments doesn't seem quite "figured out" in the way that it will be by the time they leave for Europe. I mean, Keith is all over the place with the keyboard sounds and it makes the performance seem more scattered than schizoid. And Phil's bass sounds "smaller" to me than he should ... overall the mix is probably a tad heavy on the vocals.

It's also worth listening closely to Billy's drumming during the last half of the Cryptical. He can manage quite well by himself! No surprises there.

And how often does Jerry sing falsetto? Comes A Time, peeps. Only love can fill.

AMAZING SHOW THROUGH N" THROUGH!! GREAT SOUND! wonderful first "tennessee jed!" I also like twards the end of "goin down down the road" theres a "we bid you good night" lick about 5 miniutes through the song SUPERB SHOW!! DOWNLOAD!!

this show is on fire from beginning to end, lot of new stuff here between keith and the new tunes, awesome the whole way through, real classic

Mickey was long gone by the time Keith rolled in. Love this "Imperfect" gem from a great year. After all they were not called The Quintessential Quintet for nothing after Hart left and the mos. leading up to Keith joining.Give this beauty a listen!

This was my first Dead concert. I was 19 and completely blown away by the music and the scene. The Dead were high on cocaine and played for 6 hours without a break. The audience was equally high. It was an indoor Minnesota Woodstock. Frisbees, balloons and soap bubbles flew or floated came down from the upper balconies of the grand old Northrop Auditorium. While the Dead didn't eat or drink, we did - people ordered dozens of pizzas delivered. Ripple wine, big joints, and chocolate magically appeared -take a hit and pass it on. Although I had a sprained ankle, I danced on one foot for the entire concert and felt no pain.

Firsts (if I’m not mistaken): Tennessee Jed, Jack Straw, Mexicali Blues, Comes A Time, One More Saturday Night, Ramble On Rose,

Funky T Jed; Jack Straw was mighty fine for a first time played, Bobby and Jerry did not swap verses; Sweet BE Women; rather upbeat Comes A Time (for a Comes a time, that is); Ramble on Rose has a little funk flair to it, I like it; beautiful Cryptical>drums>Other One,>Cryptical (I’m assuming this sequence did not last much longer) love the jamming; rockin’ GDTRFB.

Overall I love this really raw show. They’re a young band with some personnel changes (No Pigpen this show, Keith’s first show, first show with out Mickey), but IMHO this is the start of them really coming into their own, peaking in 1974. I’m a fan of the one drummer era and it’s great to hear them at the very beginning of that endeavor. I give this show 4 stars for performance and 4 for sound quality. Any Dead Head will happy to sit back and give this one a listen.

I think this the first version of "Playin' in the Band" with an extended jam at the end..?

`

~^|\_@|@_/|^~
~<->/<->\<->~

Superduper 71' Soundboard!

~Stereo-Phonic Hi-Fidelity~

I highly recommend adding this show to your 1971 GRATEFUL DEAD collection.

I also highly recommend all the shows from April 1971 at the Fillmore East & Fillmore West.

The GRATEFUL DEAD are in time, in tune, and incredible. Billy is laying down a solid "in the pocket" groove. This show has "dance-ability".

This show was kind of a sample of what we could expect from the GRATEFUL DEAD without Pigpen.

This show still has that great 71' sound.

Thanks to the unknown and untold people that put this show on the Archive. You know who you are.

Get it while you can, get it while it's free, get it now or you will be sorry...

The IA recommends users of Windows XP view this web-page with RealPlayer. RealPlayer is a free media player you can download at www.realplayer.com.

For easy streaming or downloading use RealPlayer. Click the VBR M3U link to open the songs in the Playlist. If your Playlist is not open, open it by clicking the Playlist icon at the lower right hand corner of RealPlayer. Once the songs are in the Playlist, double click the song to play it, then click the record button at the lower left hand corner of Realplayer to record it. When the red line reaches the other end click the stop button to download the song. Your song is in the RealPlayer Downloads folder. Repeat these steps for each song.

Eat, Drink, Be Merry and Listen to the GRATEFUL DEAD.

Thanks for the LOVE from 1971.

still a great show.
71 is slowly becoming a clear favourite year for me, after 68.
Comes A Time, Cryptical and Wharf Rat all stand out here.

The band may not be as developed as in 73 or 74 but they've had the musical ability since the sixty's (obviously) and with the spirit they brought to this show they laid it all on the line in a very well played, raw show.

Wharf Rat almost hurts my heart to listen to.

Northrup is a beautiful old concert hall- the Mpls Symphony used to play there- it was the last TC show in a small place (although the JGB played at the old St. Paul Auditorium Theater)- they'd done 2 great shows the year before at the Guthrie- this show was outstanding- broadcast on KQRS as I recall- complete with pyrotechnics and everything! If I hadn't been hooked at the Guthrie, I was after this show!

tennessee jed is as much as I care to review.
the rest is fine but that is the level I wished I could of seen in 1995. age is the most evil trick as we should well know by now.

This show contains a masterful, spellbinding Wharf Rat. One for the ages...and I noticed the other reviewers hadn't mentioned it yet, so I thought I'd better! :D

is everyone aware of how good this show is? i mean, don't be silly...start to finish this is unbelieveable quality, both in terms of sound & performance. within the first 30 seconds of bertha, it becomes quite clear that stars are aligned and something very powerful is about to occur. it's apparent that everyone in the band has been set on fire by the addition of keith godchaux. and speaking of, let us not forget that this is a debut performance for dear keith...keith godchaux's musical prowess is absolutely humbling. not unlike that of mr. bill k. who on this night reminds us again & again why he is the most original & underrated drummer in all of rock n roll. and, three words: comes a time.

ah yeah, one bothersome section in the form of "playing in the band" where bobby seems to not be able to hear himself at all and the singing goes wrong indeed.

That is on the very top of my wish list. I would absolutely love if Rhino were to release selections from this show along with 10/21, 10/22, 10/23 and 10/24.
Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit and it's all on the same street. Your typical city involved in a typical daydream. Release these shows Rhino, and see what tomorrow brings.
Nothing exceeds like excess. A PHAT (that's pretty hot and tasty) 4 or 5 discs' could capture this road trip nicely.

But, whatever they do with it is up to them.

Anyway, this show is stronger that ten acres of onions on a summer day.
On this show the Dead are a stripped down, lean, no-nonsense juggernaut that is playing like it's got something to prove. Confidence and urgency make strong musical partners and the Dead have both in spades.
When you're done with this show, give 10/21/71 a spin. It'll leave a few dents on your eardrums as well.
Hang loose. Peace and Jesus Saves.

Keith's 1st show & the 1st show for Jack Straw Tennessee Jed Mexicali Blues Comes a Time One More Saturday Night Ramble On Rose!! That's a huge show! It's not the smoothest but it's cool to hear these songs played this way live and for the 1st time. If u dig this check out the practice w/ keith from 9-29-71. This show is a 3 or 4 quality 5 for significance
PS: It's kinda sad when the guy doing the intro explains that pigpen is sick and that keith is filling in for him. BTW is it me or does the intro guy sound like Mick Jagger? Obviously it ain't but..Booyakasha

The distortion problems are a non event. Cmon people it was not that long ago we were listening to very diff versions of shows like this and I do not ever recall seeing this tape - period.

This is really well played and while Pig is noticeably absent this and U Mich are really hot shows with alot of energy. Billy has a nice lead in before a sizzling other one. You will not be disappointed this is a very solid and memorable show!

Im suprised to see that nobody has mentioned the fact that this show held some pretty big premieres - Jack Straw Tennessee Jed Mexicali Blues Comes a Time One More Saturday Night Ramble On Rose." Id check it out just cause of that!

This was my first live show. New Riders opened. The two bands played for six and a half hours, with Garcia on stage the entire time. A life-changing event! Oh, by the way, the tickets were $4.50, I still have my stub.

how come none of you guys are letting us know that this show is plagued by distortion problems .....i am listening to it now and it has to go to the recycle bin......I love the dead, but hate a bad recording ...they are still the best.....it must have been hard to record on such a high level every night...they are performing well as usual,,,but quality gives the show a 2

this is the first keith show right?
all around very tight.

Let's not forget that this show features a HUGE Comes a Time, featuring extra verses! Like this song? download it to check quality....you'll love it!

Great show, great setlist. TN Jed is real neat, very fast tempo. Sound is high quality. All in All a five star show!

Boy, what a great show. There's something special about these Fall '71 shows that I've always enjoyed. Pigpen is laid up on the west coast and a newbie is thrown to the wolves. Keith comes through with flying colors. Not only does Keith play killer piano, he also plays a unique organ style, not unlike T.C.
This recording is pre-FM and features a much better sound than the thin FM recording. I highly recommend this show.